You Are The Best at showing your home. You can be more knowledgeable, enthusiastic and interested in selling your home than any real estate broker. It's easy!

At Tri-Star our primary goal is to help you attract more buyers at the lowest cost, so that we can sell your home quickly at the highest net price. This information is designed to help you help us accomplish that objective. Review the following information and Get Ready To Move!

WHAT TO EXPECT   { top }
Newspaper Advertising. TRI-STAR will submit periodic advertisements on your home to the local newspaper during the term of your listing. With your permission, each ad will contain your telephone number, as well as that of your local TRI-STAR office. Please contact your TRI-STAR agent immediately after your ad appears if it needs to be revised.

Newspaper advertising is a valuable marketing tool, but it is only one element in a successful marketing effort. At least as many homes are sold through MLS or for sale signs as from newspaper ads. Be careful not to have unrealistic expectations of the buyer response you should receive from the newspaper, alone. The cumulative effect of MLS, sign, brochures and newspaper exposure coupled with the professional marketing expertise and assistance of TRI-STAR are all necessary ingredients in accomplishing a fast sale of your home.

For Sale Sign. A colorful Tri-Star "Buy For Less" sign will be placed in your front yard after your home is listed. Your personalized telephone number should be available to you for installation on the for sale sign soon thereafter.

Open House Signs. You will be provided with stand up open house signs that may be placed on conspicuous street corners to direct traffic to your open house when you need them.

Custom Brochures. The Tri-Star brochure is an individually prepared custom brochure that describes many of the desirable features of your home. Tri-Star will prepare a quantity of brochures for distribution to brokers and buyers who may be interested in your home. You may participate in the initial preparation of your brochure. Your Tri-Star agent can show you examples of brochures on other homes. You will then be provided with a blank brochure form where you have the opportunity to describe the features of your home that may be most exciting to prospective buyers. Mail or fax your suggestions on this blank custom form to your Tri-Star office as soon as possible. We know that you know your home best. We welcome your comments in assisting us prepare the best possible marketing brochure on your home.

You will be notified within a few days that your brochures are completed. Periodically replenish the supply of brochures in your "insti-info box" attached to the for sale sign. If you need an additional supply of custom brochures you may pick them up at or we will mail them to you. Please notify your agent so that your brochures can be prepared in advance.

MLS. The Exclusive Right to Sell Agreement, which you execute in conjunction with the Tri-Star Counseling Agreement, is the form that is submitted to the Multiple Listing Service to provide the information that will be published and available to brokers on your home. Your home should be available to brokers through the MLS computer system within hours after listing and that information should appear in the Multiple Listing Service book within seven days to two weeks after you have listed. Brokers will contact you directly to arrange for showings of your home. It is important to make every effort to accommodate showing requests. An integral part of the Tri-Star marketing system is the promotion of your home to other brokers through the Multiple Listing System.

At Tri-Star our arrangement with you is unique in that we will advertise your home directly to the buyers looking without brokers, while at the same time promoting your home through the Multiple Listing Service to the buyers looking with brokers. Consider placing your home in MLS to encourage brokers to show your home. Consult your Tri-Star sales agent for advice concerning the range of selling commissions customarily offered through the Multiple Listing Service.

Lockbox. The use of a lockbox can make your home more easily accessible to brokers and substantially increase showings. A lockbox is a small "safe" that would be secured on the exterior of your home. It permits brokers who have been issued a lockbox key and individual access code to open the lockbox, remove your house key and show your home when you are not present. Because of the large selection of homes on the market and the necessity of showing buyers many homes in a limited time, some brokers show only homes "on lockbox". The Multiple Listing Service information on your home indicates to brokers whether you have chosen to utilize a lockbox.

THE RIGHT PRICE   { top }
Initial Pricing. Proper pricing is one of the most important ingredients in accomplishing the successful sale of your home. Often, sellers who market their homes for less, actually receive more. Why? Better pricing attracts more buyers. More buyers increase the likelihood of finding a buyer who may pay more!

Homes that languish on the market because the seller "started high" with the intent of "coming down" sometimes receive little additional buyer response once the price is lowered. Why? Many buyers who initially rejected the home because of price may have already purchased another home or simply lost interest as they subsequently looked at other homes. Buyers who had not previously viewed the home may interpret a price reduction as a "desperation move" to create interest in a property that other buyers had already rejected. Consider making every effort to offer the "right" price initially.

Don't Hesitate To Reduce The Price Of Your Home, When Appropriate.

The best possible marketing effort cannot overcome an unreasonable asking price.

With Tri-Star you can sell for less because you pay less. Therefore, you have a substantial competitive advantage over sellers listed with "Traditional" Brokers. Use it!

The "COMPS". When you review the sales prices of comparable homes recently sold in your neighborhood, remember that many of those sellers actually netted 7% less than the price indicated because of their real estate commission. A sale price of $100,000 may have "netted" the seller $93,000. That is what the seller really received for the home even though the buyer paid more. With Tri-Star you could sell your home for approximately $97,900 and still net the same $93,000, even if your home is sold through MLS with our MLS selling fee. If your home sells to a buyer looking alone, you could sell your home for $95,500 and still net $93,000 because you pay our $2,500 reduced fee. Consider using your pricing advantage. If you want to assure a fast sale, the combination of your competitive price, coupled with our ability to expose your home to more buyers, can accomplish that objective.

Dual Pricing. You have the unique opportunity to expose your home to the buyers looking with brokers through MLS and, simultaneously, market your home to the buyers looking ''on their own" at the "By Owner" marketed properties in an effort to save. With Tri-Star you know that the maximum real estate commission you can pay is 5%. You pay only $2,500 (when offered through MLS) when your property is sold to a buyer who is looking without a broker because you would not be obligated to pay an MLS selling commission. Therefore, you might be tempted to offer a different price on your home through MLS than in your "Call Owner" newspaper ads and custom brochures. Don't! Frequently, buyers who are looking with brokers will respond to your newspaper ads or acquire custom brochures when selecting properties to show their buyers. Offering two prices on your home may signal brokers that you are attempting to induce their buyers to come to you directly. THAT WOULDN'T BE FAIR! It would, therefore, discourage all brokers from promoting and showing your home.

One Price Only. Select one marketing price for your home and promote that price to all. Since the maximum commission you could pay, even in the event of an MLS sale, would most probably represent a substantial savings over the traditional broker's fee, you have the ability to price your home more competitively than sellers with "traditional" brokers. Remember that your primary goal is to sell your home quickly at the highest possible price. To accomplish that goal you will want the full cooperation of the real estate community, in addition to exposure to the buyers looking alone. The Tri-Star system was developed to permit you to have both. A necessary element, however, of our ability to fulfill that commitment is a program that is equitable to real estate brokers.

TELEPHONE INQUIRES   { top }
Invite Showings. Upon receiving calls from interested buyers, your primary purpose should be to persuade those buyers to personally inspect your home. You should not attempt to "sell" your home by telephone. Therefore, you want to say just enough to motivate buyers to take action by coming over to look at your home.

Exhibit a strong motivation to sell and emphasize that you have purposefully priced your home to sell quickly. A primary motivator for virtually every buyer is the perceived opportunity to benefit from an extraordinary value. Point out any unique aspects of your home or neighborhood. Most buyers want to find a home that is truly "special".

Set a Time. Try to set a specific time for buyers to view your home. When a telephone conversation is ended with the buyers' promise to "stop by some time later in the day", those buyers may let other commitments prevent them from seeing your home. If you have established a specific time, the buyers are more likely to schedule other commitments around the appointment with you.

Name And Number. With every telephone call try to obtain the buyers' name and telephone number. It is customary to obtain this information when you have made an appointment with buyers to view your home. However, when you may be able to obtain their name and telephone number by offering to have your Tri-Star agent contact them with "further information" on the excellent pricing and terms available on your home.

Enthusiasm. Buyers will not look at your home unless they are excited about what you have to offer. You cannot get them excited unless you are! Project enthusiasm over the telephone - it's contagious. Let the buyer know that you are excited about the many special features of your home, and the excellent price you are willing to offer.

You Have The Knowledge. You know the many special features of your home and neighborhood best. Share this knowledge with enthusiasm and buyers will be eager to meet you personally and view your home. You can exhibit more creditability because buyers know that you know your home better than anyone!

SHOWING YOUR HOME   { top }
Buyers Without Brokers. Your "Call Owner" for sale sign and newspaper ads are designed to attract buyers looking without brokers. You should clearly and enthusiastically express your desire to sell to these buyers. The single best "buyer motivator" is the perception that they have found a special situation that might result in their ability to obtain an extra good value. Emphasize your willingness to consider and offer! Remember--any offer is better than no offer and many represent the first step to a successful sale.

Relay the names of the buyers who have looked at your home to your Tri-Star agent frequently. Your agent will contact each of these buyers and offer to provide additional information on your home. They will truthfully tell us what they thought of your home and we will call you with their comments. This follow-up can often reinforce buyers' interest.

Buyers With Brokers. When you home is shown by a real estate broker, it is usually best to allow the broker to present your home without your room-to-room accompaniment. Brokers often prefer and appreciate privacy. If asked, however, you should willingly and enthusiastically answer all questions and demonstrate the benefits of your home.

Scheduling Showings. It is important to expose your home to as many buyers as possible. Do your best to be flexible in scheduling showings with buyers looking with real estate brokers.

Open House. Hold an "open house" as often as you can. Weekends and early evenings usually represent the most opportune times. Immediately after entering your home, request that buyers record their name and telephone number on your "guest sign in" register. When you answer the door, introduce yourself by name. This will usually cause the buyers to introduce themselves. Respond back to them by name and direct them verbally and with an arm gesture to your "sign in" register, which should be conspicuously placed in your entry hall. Position yourself between the buyers and access to the rest of your home while they are signing the guest register. Promptly relay the name and telephone number of the buyers who view your home to your Tri-Star agent. Your agent will make every effort to reinforce these buyers' interest and motivate them to propose an offer to purchase your home. Your Tri-Star agent is a trained professional at assisting buyers with concerns about price, terms, financing and other matters that they might find uncomfortable in discussing with you. Your fee to Tri-Star includes this valuable buyer follow-up service.

Relax. Allow buyers some "space" as they walk through your home. Offer to answer any questions they may have but allow them the opportunity to walk through your home in a relaxed and casual manner. Give them a custom brochure so that they may review the many positive aspects of your home during their walk-through.

Your Motivation. Emphasize that you are very motivated to sell and would be willing to offer them an excellent price on the home. If you are asked to be more specific about your "bottom line", reply that you would prefer to conduct negotiations through your Tri-Star sales agent. Reemphasize your willingness to sell your home at a very fair price. Occasionally, a buyer's first offer may reflect a below market price. Your Tri-Star sales agent, however, is a professional with training and experience at persuading buyers to pay a fair price. Your primary objective is to motivate the buyer to contact Tri-Star to assist in preparing any offer. Opening the negotiating process on any basis provides an opportunity for Tri-Star to produce a successful result for you. Buyers Are More Willing To Begin The Negotiating Process When They Perceive That They Are Dealing With A Seller Who Is Highly Motivated.

Perception Of Good Value. Remember that all buyers believe they are receiving a fair value, or better when they agree to buy a home at a particular price. The Tri-Star marketing system reinforces that belief because buyers understand that you may share your commission savings with them. It Is Important To Remind Prospects Interested In Your Home Of Your Ability To Sell For Less Because You Pay Less!

Showings From Your Tri-Star Office. Buyers who would normally respond to your Tri-Star office from the "For Sale" sign and newspaper advertising will probably contact you directly. The purpose of the Tri-Star system is to direct these buyers to you so that you can save. Consequently, you should be aware that your Tri-Star office and listing agent may not have as many opportunities to conduct showings of your property as other brokers, because many of the buyers that would normally respond to your Tri-Star office will call you instead.

THE CONTRACT   { top }
Offers. Our entire marketing effort is directed toward obtaining a written offer to purchase your home. Please consider any offer carefully. If an offer is clearly unacceptable, it is usually best to continue the negotiating process by formulating a counteroffer with the assistance of your Tri-Star agent. Please do not attempt to negotiate the sale of your home without the assistance of your Tri-Star agent. Your Tri-Star agent is trained in the negotiating process and your fee to Tri-Star includes our assistance in negotiating the purchase of your home, preparing the purchase contract and assisting you through closing. Take advantage of this service.

The First Offer. The first offer is often the best! Why? When your home is relatively new on the market buyers may be more likely to believe that they have found that "special" home at a good value before anyone else! They know that your home has not been viewed and "rejected" by many others. They will be more likely to act quickly and pay a higher price. don't Assume That You Will Receive A Steady Stream Of Purchase Offers Just Because You Are Fortunate Enough To Receive One Soon After Offering Your Home For Sale. Cooperate with your Tri-Star agent to negotiate with every buyer as if they were the only buyer.

Offers From Other Brokers. Your Tri-Star agent will contact you immediately when an offer is "written'' on your home. If another broker contacts you directly to present an offer, contact your Tri-Star agent immediately. You should insist that your Tri-Star agent is present to represent you when any broker presents an offer on your home. It is often helpful to arrange to meet on the "home ground" of your local Tri-Star office. Your agent will then have the necessary information on your home and other relevant sales data available to help you justify the highest possible price for your home. While another broker is presenting the offer to you, don't comment- favorably or unfavorably! Wait until the presentation is concluded and ask to speak privately with your Tri-Star agent in another room. You will then be able to discuss your impressions without concern that they will be relayed by the other broker to the buyer.

10 TIPS FOR PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR THE MARKET   { top }
1. Turn on soft music at a low volume.

2. Boil cinnamon tea in an open pot or put a few drops of vanilla extract in a hot oven to create the aroma of baking bread.

3. During the winter have fireplace lit.

4. During the summer keep it extra cool during showings.

5. Remove small, fragile objects and valuables.

6. Keep your pets away from buyers and don't allow children to answer the door.

7. Open drapes, turn on lights and keep your home as bright and cherry as possible.

8. Attempt to keep your home as neat, clean and uncluttered as possible; but live in your home--it need not look like a brand new "model home''.

9. Some criticism of one or more aspects of your home is normal do not be offended; it often represents an initial "buying" signal. Buyers that have no interest will often make no comment at all.

10. Once you have an interested buyer, call us immediately--we'll do everything else.

Buying a home involves an emotional response. Desire is a stronger motivator that need! There are many ways you can help create an emotional pull toward your home. While some of these depend upon your asking price, others depend on more subtle verbal and non-verbal communications. You are better equipped to convey the right image than any real estate broker. You know the positive aspects of your home and neighborhood better than anyone else. No one can show your home better than you can. Remember that real people will be living in your home, so be yourself. Your ability to create a relaxed atmosphere of comfort and happiness will be one of your home's greatest attractions.

ALL HOMES SELL   { top }
Don't Be Discouraged. All Homes Sell--If they're Priced Fairly And Marketed Aggressively. If your asking price represents a good value in comparison to other homes being offered for sale in your neighborhood and surrounding areas your home will sell! Local market conditions often influence "time on the market." Take comfort in knowing that the Tri-Star system is unique in its ability to attract buyers looking without the aid of a real estate broker, as well as those looking with brokers. And, by marketing your home with Tri-Star, buyers will recognize that they can buy for less because you can sell for less--and still net more. This perception of good value will motivate buyers to look at your home and induce those that are interested to negotiate an acceptable purchase price.

Your Advantage. With Tri-Star you have Mobile's strongest real estate marketing system and a fee structure that allows you to under price your competition and still net more!

 

Call TRI-STAR. It can work for you too!

(251) 666-SAVE

$990 flat fee plan